Chapter 11 - What Walter Said
My father wrote me from his attorney’s office.
Not apology.
Explanation.
I refused to read for a week.
Then did.
Reid,
You are making me into someone I am not.
Promising start.
He continued:
I never wanted to injure Lily or Mason.
I believed immediate physical feedback was safer than allowing children to ignore commands around dangerous equipment.
There.
Grill safety.
Then:
When Mason reached toward hot food repeatedly, I used the tongs to make the point. I did not intend the burn.
With Lily, I was angry because she refused to apologize and kept moving toward the grill.
There.
Two motives combined.
Safety and obedience.
Then:
You were raised with consequences and survived.
Classic.
Then:
Your generation treats every discomfort as trauma.
I stopped reading.
Two days later finished.
At the end:
I am sorry Lily was hurt. I am sorry Mason was hurt. I will not apologize for believing children need discipline.
There.
Not enough.
My therapist asked:
“What would enough look like?”
“I want him to say he was wrong.”
“About what?”
“Hurting them.”
“He did.”
“No. He said injury was accidental.”
“What do you need?”
“I need him to admit he wanted pain.”
There.
Because if pain remained accidental, the worldview survived.
Months later, after criminal case progressed and he entered mandated counseling, his language changed.
Not quickly.
But eventually.
May you like
That mattered more than court speech.
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